Jack's Day
by gawilliams
Summary: A Day in the life of Jack O'Neill in the Pentagon. Established S/J. Rating changed to M just to be sure in the second and third chapters due to language and suggestion.
1. Chapter 1

**Jack's Day**

Disclaimer: I don't own or profit from this story.

_**0500 Hours, Georgetown, Home of Maj. Gen. Jack O'Neill**_

Jack O'Neill, Major General in the United States Air Force and Director of Homeworld Security, woke to the sound of his obnoxious alarm going off a mere foot from his head. Groaning, he reached blearily over and turned the damn thing off and then flung himself on his back with one arm over his eyes. It was Monday and he hated Mondays with a passion. Granted he hated all work days now, but he really despised Mondays. Three years now, four if you counted the year he had been in command of the SGC, that had been the case. He moved his right hand across to his bedside table and grabbed his dreaded blackberry and turned it on, quickly bringing up his day planner.

"SHIT!" he said loudly.

That was always the case. The same word said in the same tone for the same reason. Meetings. Four this morning alone and then a big one with the President and the Joint Chiefs that afternoon. Then, joy of joys, he was meeting with a group of candy ass Senators to discuss further funding requests. He'd be lucky to make it out of his office before 2100 hours.

"This is fucking bullshit!" he snarled as he pulled himself out of bed and trudged to the shower.

As usual when he entered the bathroom he turned to his right and saw himself in the mirror. "God dammit!" he groused. He always got angry when he saw just how much he had let himself go since taking on this job. Granted he was still in better shape than most soldiers half his age, but he felt like he was going to pot. He was a bit heftier than he used to be, and the hair was now white. Leaning in closer he spotted a small cluster of crows feet clawing their merry way next to his eyes. He had to restrain himself from smashing the mirror. Instead he made his way to the shower and turned it on. Cold. That's how he always took them nowadays. It just figured that the minute he finally gets a sex life again after living like a freaking monk for practically a decade, the absolute love of his life gets transferred to command a base in a completely different galaxy. For some unknown reason Carter loved him and had finally given him the badly needed swift kick in the ass so he would give them a shot. Once the preliminaries were done, she had whisked him straight to bed and really rocked his world. It was mornings like this that he was absolutely certain that God hated him. Instead of waking up with a woman that defined the word 'HOT', he was stuck relieving his pent up frustrations with an entirely too frequent visit from his right hand. Stepping into the cold shower, he stayed in long enough to let Jack Jr. calm down and wash the previous days grime off, though how anyone could call what passed for unclean at the Pentagon 'grime' was beyond him. He doubted if any of these chair warming pansies knew what real battle really was.

His anger at his life grew even further when he opened his closet and pulled out his dress uniform. He hated that damn thing. Hated everything it represented. He would much rather be wearing BDU's and combat boots with his 9mm strapped to his leg and a few blocks of C4 for added measure. A P90 wouldn't be so bad either.

Ten minutes after putting on the uniform he grabbed his briefcase and laptop bag. Heading out the door he went straight to the waiting limo that was assigned to him, courtesy of President Hayes, and headed in to work. Hopefully some emergency would come up requiring his presence at the SGC or maybe on one of the ships currently in orbit. That would at least get him out of the office. Sighing deeply, he pulled out one of the files in his briefcase and started reading once he had his reading glasses on.

_**0745 Hours, Pentagon, Office of the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff**_

Jack stared down at the half a grapefruit that was placed in front of him and cursed a blue streak to himself. He hated this damn diet that Carter had put him on once the results of his last physical and blood work had come back. Sure he had put on a few extra pounds, and his cholesterol was a few points on the high side, but who was counting? Carter, obviously. Now she had the Joint Chiefs pushing all the health food on him. The thing he couldn't figure out was that Carter swore up and down that they had discussed this whole diet thing and he couldn't remember it for the life of him. Obviously somewhere along the way it had been decided, though he was damn sure that he had missed _that_ particular discussion or he would have had a few things to say about it, that Carter was in complete charge of his health situation. He couldn't even keep a box of fruit loops in the cupboard without the maid service throwing it out, for crying out loud!

"Something wrong with your breakfast, Jack?" the Chairman asked with a silent chuckle and smirk.

"You don't want to hear my answer, Sir," Jack answered dryly.

General Francis laughed. "Get used to it, Jack," he advised his friend. He wasn't sure if he wanted to know Jack's opinion of him, but he held the younger man in the highest regard. "My wife took over my food and drink years ago and there's not a damn thing I can do about it. I'd imagine Colonel Carter would be pretty pissed if you deviated from 'the plan', so you better get used to it."

"Pissed is the understatement of the millennium," Jack responded. "She has this freaky talent for blowing things up that you would rather have left intact, like a sun or an Asgard Battle Cruiser."

Francis almost lost his juice as he spluttered in good humor. "Wasn't that the ship that the Asgard named after you?" he asked.

"Oh yeah," Jack drawled. "And before the damn thing's even finished she just up and blows it all to hell. And the second one and the third. Thor mentioned that they are about to finish a fourth one and this time I'm going to make damn sure Carter doesn't get anywhere near it."

"It's tough living with the one you love, isn't it?" Francis needled. His own days were long and tedious, so he got enjoyment where he could, and listening to Jack O'Neill grouse was about as entertaining as it got.

"Well I wouldn't know about that, now would I?" Jack grumbled as he took a bite of his grapefruit and made a face. It actually wasn't bad, but he preferred his fruit loops. "One month! One lousy month and then the chair warmers decide to reass her to Atlantis. How long did I wait to have a relationship? Ten years! Ten miserable years in which she almost married some schmuck and I got to live like a monk. One month of bliss and then _another_ full year of sleeping alone."

"You could always go to Atlantis and visit," Francis suggested.

Jack looked at the man in horror. "And have her think that I was checking up on her?" he asked. "Hell no! She'd give me a big hug and kiss, and then kick my ass in front of everyone. I know which side my bread is buttered on, thank you very much."

"But you don't get any butter anymore, Jack," Francis pointed out, clearly referring to the diet _and_ Jack's current lack of a sex life.

"Damn!" Jack exploded in frustration. "This is even fucking up my cliches!"

_**1030 Hours, Pentagon, Office of Major General Jack O'Neill**_

Jack's office was a large room with a massive desk, a conference table in one corner, a couch and coffee table in the other, and a large en suite bathroom off to the side. He even had a small refrigerator in his office which he had stocked with bottles of water, as per Carter's strict instructions since he despised diet sodas. He dutifully chugged down twelve bottles of water every day. His secretary even kept a running count! Thank God for her, though. She kept his office running smoother than Walter had at the SGC, and that was saying an awful lot.

Most of his paperwork he kept on the conference table and would plow through it with his three aides. His desk he kept almost completely empty except for his phone, laptop, and three photos. One of Carter, naturally, one of the original SG-1 taken in the Gateroom early on, and one of Charlie.

Jack, who had just finished a meeting with a group of scientists, oh joy!, was sitting on his couch with his cell phone against his ear talking to Daniel.

"Oh come on, Daniel," he whined. "You've been bugging me for four years now to get you to Atlantis and when I finally offer you a chance you say no??"

_"No, Jack," _Daniel said from the other end._ "You and I both know that Sam would see through that one in a nanosecond and know that you sent me to check up on her. I want to be able to explore Atlantis, not spend my time in the infirmary recovering from a serious ass kicking from Sam. Be a man, Jack, and go yourself."_

"Listen, Space Monkey," Jack growled. "I would like to actually have sex again before I die, and going there myself will kill that dream in a flash. How can I help it if I worry about her?"

_"Way too much information, Jack,"_ Daniel said instantly. _"How Sam is interested in an old guy like you is beyond me. As for your sex life, you're the one who spent the last decade ignoring what was right in front of you and all you ever had to do was ask."_

"Now hold on," Jack interrupted. "She's the one who said to keep it in that damn room after the whole thing with the Ashrak. How was I supposed to know that she didn't mean it? And I am not old, just well seasoned."

Daniel laughed. _"Keep on saying that one Jack and you may convince yourself," _he told his best friend. _"Just go there and see her. I know she misses you. You're in charge of it all anyway. You can go anytime you want."_

Jack snorted. "Yeah, I'm in charge," he groused. "And whose damn fault is that one, huh Space Monkey? 'Take the promotion and you can do what you want, Jack.' I sure took it in the ass on that one, Danny Boy. I was happy as a Colonel. Now I'm just fucking miserable every day."

_"I'm not going, Jack," _Daniel said finally. _"But let's get serious for a minute. Outside of Hammond, you are the only one really qualified to head up Homeworld Security. Landry is a good man, don't get me wrong, and he's done a great job here as your replacement, but he's not in you guys league. The President made a good choice, Jack, and I only wish that you could see how damn proud everyone here is of you and what you're doing. Now I've got to get back to work. Give me a call on Friday and I'll see if Teal'c and I can come out there for the weekend."_

"Yeah," Jack said to his friend. "Thanks, Daniel. I know I can be a real prick when I'm in a bad mood."

_"Anytime, Jack," _Daniel said and the hung up.

Jack closed his cell phone and leaned his head back. He knew Daniel was right. There was no one else who could do this damn job as well as he or Hammond could, and Earth deserved the best, though he was still embarrassed to think of himself in those terms, his ego driven sarcasm aside. At least Space Monkey was willing to listen to his grumbling and help him shore up his flagging spirit.

_"General, Colonel Davis and General Kerrigan are here for your meeting," _his secretary, Gladys', voice came over the intercom.

"Send them in," he said out loud, knowing that the sophisticated intercom system was now voice activated, thanks to a gift from Thor. It was, unfortunately, time to get back to work.

_**1330 Hours, Oval Office, White House**_

"Let's break for a quick lunch and meet back here in 45 minutes," President Henry Hayes said to the Joint Chiefs and Jack O'Neill. "Hang on a minute, Jack."

Jack waited until the other General Officers had left the room and he was left with Hayes alone.

"Yes, Sir?" he asked. He was bored to tears. A thirty minute briefing for the Joint Chiefs delivered by Davis and now it was lunch time. Then there would be almost two hours or more of back and forth as the other generals tried to contribute to something they had no fucking clue about. A pure waste of time in Jack's opinion.

"I just wanted to touch base and see how you're doing, Jack," Henry told his friend. He had not thought it possible that the tough as nails Air Force officer would ever forgive him for the colossal blunder of relieving Hammond of command of the SGC four years previously, but Jack had proven to be willing to give him a chance, and he had worked damn hard not to piss off the General since then. Now they were pretty good friends.

"Hate my job, hate DC, hate being alone," Jack said promptly, making bullet points out of his complaints.

Henry leaned back in his chair casually. "I can't do anything about the first two since I need you here doing what you've been doing so well the last three years," he began. "As for the last, I know it's been hard on you since Colonel Carter was reassigned to Atlantis, but you've got to admit she's succeeding better than any of us could have hoped for."

"I know, Sir," Jack admitted. "I'm damn proud of Carter. She's almost wiped out the Wraith and the Replicators and once they're gone, and now that the Ori are toast, we can get on with exploring the Pegasus Galaxy."

"For the time being, we need Colonel Carter right where she is," Hayes said firmly, though he knew that Jack was not happy about it. "I think you know that as well as anyone."

"Oh yeah," Jack said with a sigh. His normal sarcasm was now replaced with resigned boredom.

"A couple of things are going to be happening in the next few days, Jack," Hayes continued. "First off, your being promoted to Lieutenant General as of this Friday. I'd give you a fourth star, but we need to do things in their proper order, though we are trying to give you the rank you need to deal with some of the more petty issues raised by more senior officers. Second on the list is that Colonel Carter is being promoted to Brigadier General. I know it's very soon after two promotions in the last four years, but she's more than earned it after this past year on Atlantis. It also looks good to have a General Officer in command of such an important base. Finally, a full review of the military status of Atlantis is needed and I'm sending you to do the job. You'll have a one month inspection and that should also give you some time with Sam to catch up and maybe deal with some other outstanding issues."

Jack perked up when a promotion for Sam was mentioned, which he felt was more than earned, and then he was doing mental cartwheels at the thought of going to Atlantis to see her, and by someone else's orders so he would not piss her off. His own promotion was nice, but not something he was actively looking for. He was happiest as a bird colonel, if truth be known. Three stars would make things easier all around, though.

"Do you think you could hold off the announcement of Carter's promotion and let me tell her and present her with her new insignia when I go to Atlantis?" Jack asked.

Hayes smiled. He knew that Jack was only thinking of Sam Carter and not his own new rank. "No problem, Jack," he told the newly promoted General. "Do you think you could clear your schedule enough, and brief your second in time to leave for Atlantis next week sometime?"

Jack grinned. "No problem," he drawled.

"You head on to lunch and I'll see you back in here in a little bit," Hayes ordered.

"Yes, Sir," Jack said as he left the Oval Office, already thinking of all the ways he could make his dreams come true. He and Sam weren't even engaged, but he was going to make damn sure that by the end of the month, he would be married to the love of his life once and for all. If anyone tried to interfere with those plans, they wouldn't know what hit them after Jack would get through with them.

_**1745 Hours, Pentagon, Office of Major General Jack O'Neill (Lt. Gen. Designate)**_

"Listen Hank, I don't give a rat's ass how much it screws up a couple of mission profiles," Jack said loudly. "I am taking Teal'c, Daniel, Mitchell, and Vala with me to Atlantis and that's final. I'll be God damned if I ask Carter to marry me and not have our closest friends, who we consider family no less, there to witness it _and_said wedding. Send that new girl that Daniel's been raving about with SG-5 and send along a squad of Marines with SG-6 to replace Teal'c on that mission."

_"I always knew having you as my boss would be a nightmare," _Major General Hank Landry, the SGC Commanding General said over the phone.

"Live with it," Jack said smugly. "You may not think it's easy on your end, but try this job for a few months."

_"No thanks," _Landry said very quickly. He knew if he groused too much, then Jack would make him his temporary replacement while he was at Atlantis. That was definitely something that Hank Landry wanted to avoid.

Jack chuckled. "Just tell Daniel to call me ASAP," he ordered. "He isn't answering his cell phone."

_"No problem, Jack," _Landry replied.

Jack hung up his phone and turned back to his conference table. Another curse escaped his lips as he surveyed the amount of work left to be done before he could leave for the night. Taking out his reading glasses, he put them on and grabbed the first file folder to read. "God I hate my job," he groaned as he noticed it was a quarterly review of the requisitions for the SGC.

_**2000 Hours, Pentagon, Office of Major General Jack O'Neill (Lt. Gen. Designate)**_

Jack threw down the last file in complete relief. He had really burned through them as fast as he could and he wanted to throttle the person who decided that this kind of shit had to be done to justify that the important work was actually being completed. Before he even had a chance to stand up and stretch out the kinks, he heard his cell phone ringing. He grunted and pulled it out of his pocket, looking at the tiny screen. Daniel.

"How nice of you to finally call, Space Monkey," he drawled.

_"I was busy, Jack," _Daniel protested.

"It's always something," Jack sighed exaggeratedly. He loved teasing Daniel.

_"You've known me for close to a dozen years, Jack,"_ Daniel said with a chuckle, not taking the bait. He really was busy. _"Now could you explain why Landry canceled my trip with SG-5? I was looking forward to exploring those ruins personally."_

"Get packed and bring your best duds, Space Monkey," Jack said with a smile. "You're going to Atlantis with me on Monday."

_"You finally grew some balls and are going to see Sam!" _Daniel crowed. Then he realized what had just been said. "_Oh no you don't Jack! There's no way in hell I'm going to be your human shield when Sam kicks your ass for checking up on her!"_

"Would I do that?" Jack asked innocently, though he loved the genuine sound of fear in Daniel's voice. Sam could be damn ferocious and downright frightening when she was pissed.

_"Yes," _Daniel said bluntly.

Jack winced. He hated being so transparent even to his closest friends. "You got me there, Space Monkey, but I'm not this time. The President himself ordered me there for a month, and I plan on asking Sam to marry me the first second out of the Gate and leave a month later legally hitched," he explained.

Daniel laughed very loudly.

"What's so damn funny?" Jack demanded.

_"You are so whipped, Jack," _Daniel said between laughs.

Jack was more than willing to admit that in the privacy of his own mind, but not to the head of gossip central on the other end of the line. Daniel was worse than any gossiping woman Jack had ever known. "I won't even dignify that one with a response," he shot back grumpily. His job woes and earlier surly mood was reasserting itself. "Just get your shit packed and tell Teal'c, Mitchell, and Vala to be ready bright and early Monday morning. And one other thing. If you tell Carter about this little visit I will _so_ kick your ass."

_"No problem, Jack," _Daniel said as he hung up.

_**2230 Hours, Georgetown, Home of Major General Jack O'Neill (Lt. Gen. Designate)**_

Jack yawned as he settled back on his bed and pulled his laptop to him, booting up the secret file that allowed for some enhanced Asgard communications capabilities. He did this almost every night, but tonight seemed more important than others. Clicking on the icon, he patiently waited for the person on the other end to come on the line. It was a visual program that would make even the SGC science geeks drool with envy. It sure was cool having Thor as a best buddy. After only two minutes a familiar face appeared on the screen.

_"Jack?"_ Sam asked as she smiled widely. She'd been hoping that he would contact her. It had been a couple of days and she missed him.

Jack smiled. "Yeah," he drawled.

Shifting a bit to get comfortable for what he hoped would be a long conversation, he began to do what made his world possible. He had discovered a lot of hidden things about himself when he and Carter had finally got together, but the most important thing was that just talking to her relaxed him and allowed him to forget the living nightmare that his professional life had grown into. He could handle the hellish field work that comes with being a battle hardened soldier, but the constant bureaucratic warfare he now faced was beyond him, no matter how well people said he did. Sure he would curse and wail at the turns his life gave him each morning and day, but for now in the safety of his sanctuary, he felt good.

_"Tell me about your day, Jack,"_ Sam said in a knowing voice. She settled back to listen to the love of her life unburden himself.

Jack did, though he left out a couple of details that would be made clear the following week. Being 'The Man' came with a few benefits, after all. A little secrecy was one of them.


	2. Chapter 2

_While I am working on the latest Day story, Mitchell's Day, I wanted to take the time to fill in a couple of gaps in the series, mainly how Carter got Jack to finally get together with her, and then his reaction to her being assigned to Atlantis only a month later. This chapter is the former. Hope you all enjoy this brief foray back into the story that started the series. Let me know. Gregg._

_Disclaimer: I don't own, or profit from, these characters or franchises. No copyright infringement is intended._

_**1100 Hours**__**, Pentagon, Office of Major General Jack O'Neill**_

Jack had finally gotten off the phone with Spacemonkey and had a few minutes to think of his sad state of affairs. It had been a recurring theme all morning, and now he was remembering how Carter had literally kicked his ass into gear a year before. A small chuckle emerged as he thought of it.

_**One Year Previously, Georgetown, Home of Major General Jack O'Neill**_

_Jack sighed as he read through the final report of the defeat of the Ori once and for all. Carter and the rest of SG-1 had come through again and saved everyone's collective asses. No thanks to those shits at the IOA, though. Jack had erupted in Vesuvius like proportions when he'd found out what those bastards had done. Even President Hayes had gotten an earful, and some heads were now currently rolling as a result. No longer would the IOA have any final decision role in the defense of Earth, only advisory roles, and even the areas it was allowed were going to be strictly limited. Woolsey, that pansy, had looked like he wanted to crawl in a hole and escape the onslaught as Jack had let loose with both barrels. Just as he was about to lock up the report in his briefcase and have a beer, his doorbell rang._

_"Fuck! It's Saturday for cryin' out loud!" he grumbled as he made his way to the door. He flung it open and his jaw fell as he took in the sight of Carter. Uh-oh, she looked pissed about something. "Hey, Carter!" he said, trying to sound jovial._

_"I want to talk to you, Major General Jonathon O'Neill," she said haughtily and walked around him and into his home._

_CRAP! She was really pissed about something, and the way she'd said his name made him suspect that that something was him. What the hell? He'd talked to Mitchell the evening before when the man was in the SGC infirmary and Mitchell had said that Carter was in a good mood. She'd even made him macaroons._

_"Carter?" he asked as he followed her into his living room._

_"Get your workout shorts and tank on," she ordered. Her tone left no doubt she was not going to take no for an answer._

_"Okay," he said nervously as he moved towards his bedroom._

_"Five minutes, Sir," she said firmly._

_He sped up his movements. It just wouldn't do to get her any more pissed than she already was. The only thing he could think of was that she was not happy about what the IOA had done, and she was wanting to take out her frustrations on him like they used to do when he was at the SGC: hand to hand sparring. He was still at the top of his form, and worked out sparring wise with a young 27 year old Captain who was Special Forces trained, and had yet to be bested by the young guy. Carter, though, with the exception of Teal'c, was the only one who could put him flat on his ass. She was that good, though he was usually the winner in their matches. She was pissed enough, though, that he could see a very painful evening ahead of him._

_Jack went flying over her shoulder to land flat on his back on the relatively soft sparring mat that he had in the backyard in a covered area. Maybe pissed was an understatement when describing Carter's mood. They'd been at it for an hour already and he hadn't taken her down once, while he'd been thrown, kicked, hit, and blocked to within an inch of his life. He stood up and got into a lazy _en garde _stance._

_"A little upset, Carter?" he bravely asked. He made a forward move and feinted left, but she caught on too quickly and grabbed his left hand, rotated, and flipped him over expertly. He landed on his back again with a painful thud. He would definitely be spending time in the hot tub after this workout._

_"Whatever gave you that idea, General, Sir?" Carter asked sarcastically, her eyes focused in on him, measuring her prey, so to speak._

_"Oh, I don't know," he breathed hard, staying on his back looking up at her. "Maybe the fact that for the last hour I've been getting my ass kicked on my day off. Mad at the IOA for that Replicator bullshit?"_

_"I'm furious with them, but this isn't about that," she told him as she sat down cross legged next to him, still keeping her eyes focused in on him._

_"New way to celebrate a promotion?" he joked, trying desperately to ease the tension. He hadn't mentioned before now, much to his own chagrin, her promotion to full colonel immediately after the recent mission was finished. Mitchell had been promoted, too. _

_"No," she said curtly. "I'm pissed as hell at you."_

_Jack looked at her in astonishment. "ME?! What the hell did I do?" he asked in a very confused, and frustrated, voice._

_"I've waited two years since you took this fucking assignment, and you haven't asked me out yet," she blurted out, not giving a damn about how that sounded. "And before that I waited almost eight years before trying to move on, and that sure as hell didn't work out in the end. So now I'm still alone and the guy I want hasn't done a God Damn thing to remedy that. So yes, I'm pretty fucking pissed!"_

_"Now hold on," Jack tried to defend himself. "You're the one who said to keep it in the room after that Zanax thingy. I've only done what you told me to do!"_

_"Oh come on, Jack," Sam angrily made a chopping motion with her hand. "Even you're not that dumb! I only said that because we were on a military base with cameras everywhere. I really wanted you to take me home and fuck me senseless. After that we could have demanded an exemption on the frat regs. You know full well we would have been given one."_

_"I am that dumb!" he strangled out a reply, knowing it sounded pathetic, but in this case it was the truth. "I thought you were serious!" He mentally kicked himself as he thought of all the hot monkey sex that he and Carter could have had over the years. He also wouldn't have had to endure close to a year of constantly trying to not lose his lunch every time he thought of her with that idiot cop._

_"Well now you know how much you screwed up!" she practically shouted. Then she narrowed her focus. "So the question is, Jack, what are you going to do about this total cluster fuck?"_

_"Wanna go out with me, Carter?" he asked, hoping that she would calm down. He had some major damage control to get started on, it seemed. "I know this awesome Italian place nearby that we cold have some dinner at tonight, and then maybe some dancing?" He hated dancing, but recalled that Carter really enjoyed it._

_"Not nearly enough, Buster," she growled in a sexy way that was almost midway between a purr and a thunderous rumble. "How about you take me to your bedroom and we spend every waking moment between now and Monday morning screwing our brains out to make up for lost time?"_

_Jack gulped. Visions of he and a very NAKED Carter danced in his lascivious mind. He only hoped he had the strength to deliver the goods. He was getting up there in years, after all. "I like that idea," he managed to squeak. Junior was also voicing his enthusiastic approval if the very tight feel of his workout shorts was any indication._

_Carter leaned over and kissed him hard, letting her tongue explore a bit. "Then let's get inside and start the party," she told him, making it clear that for the time being, she was in charge. "And you should know I have very high standards, General O'Neill. Though," she added as she gave his covered erection a quick pat and squeeze, "if this Big Guy is any indication, you shouldn't have any trouble on that score."_

_**Present, Pentagon, Office of Major General Jack O'Neill**_

Jack sighed as he remembered that weekend. Carter had been a one woman wrecking machine. She almost gave him a stroke, or a heart attack. When she said every waking moment she had really meant every waking moment in bed. She'd almost kicked his ass when he'd had to get out of bed to take a leak! That had began one month of sheer sexual bliss for a very repentant Jack O'Neill. Granted, he was a bit selfish in that he had used the time to really banish the memories of living like a virtual monk for ten years, but hey, he wasn't too proud to admit it. Then those brainless shits at the IOA had offered Carter Atlantis and he had been fucked by fate once again. There was no way she could turn down the assignment, and she had left him high and dry, though they were a couple, thank God! Heaving another sigh, he got back to work. He had a meeting with the President to prepare for. He could think about the Hotness Personified that was Carter when he got home that night. He looked down and saw another useless request from Area 51.

"FUCK!" he shouted in frustration. "I hate my job!"


	3. Chapter 3

_Here's Jack's reaction to Carter being made the Atlantis commanding officer only a month after they finally got together. Hope you all enjoy it. Gregg._

_Disclaimer: I don't own, or profit from, these characters or franchises. No copyright infringement is intended._

_**2345 Hours, Georgetown, Home of Maj. Gen. (Lt. Gen. Desig.) Jack O'Neill**_

A very lonely Jack O'Neill turned off his laptop which he had been using until now to talk to Carter, who, unfortunately, was in another galaxy right then. Damn! Could she talk dirty when she wanted to! Junior was still in shock, and this was only over a comm system, not in person. After going through his litany of woes, she'd given him a little subspace phone sex, minus the visual he would have loved, but hey, he couldn't be too picky. It had taken him eleven months to get this much out of her on the subject of a little verbal stimulation. That only served to remind him of how fucking lonely he really was, despite the whole diet and ball & chain stuff. What he wouldn't give to have one good, and of course free, swing at the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs for the guy's butter remark at breakfast. Jack could still remember when his bubble had been burst eleven months previously and Sam got reassed to the command of Atlantis.

_**Eleven Months Previously, Office of Major General O'Neill, Pentagon, Washington, DC**_

_Jack waltzed into his office at his usual 0700 hours in a very happy mood. The night before Carter had beamed over from Colorado Springs and given him and Junior a night to remember. Who would have thought that his Carter had such a voracious appetite for sex? Yep! Jacky Boy was living large and getting laid quite regularly these days. The best part was that the bruises from Carter kicking his ass a month previously were now fading and becoming more a memory than anything else, so the frenzied passion was not quite so painfully wrenching on his tired old muscles. Was he complaining, though? Hell no! Wild, frenzied, hot MONKEY SEX with Carter was worth any amount of suffering in his opinion. Did he forget to mention that she absolutely loves morning sex? Oh my God! Just that morning as he was sitting at the table reading the paper she'd pulled it away from him, removed his cup of coffee from the table, and then laid down in front of him, fully nude of course, and asked if he had anything in particular in mind for breakfast. Needless to say, cunnilingus took on a whole new meaning for him this fine day! He'd check to see if it was possible to get a section of the breakfast table bronzed for posterity._

_"General?" his Admin. Aide, Master Sergeant Nicole Bellman said from his doorway as he sat down at his desk. "The IOA files on the Atlantis command search are on your desk as you ordered, Sir."_

_"Thanks, Sergeant," he replied pleasantly. His staff were top notch, he had to admit. He had an Administrative Aide, an Executive Aide, a Chief of Staff, and four Aides de Camp. That didn't include the five section heads he was directing and their respective staffs. The Admin. Aide was a Master Sergeant, the Executive Aide was a Command Chief Master Sergeant, the Chief of Staff was a full Colonel, and his Aides de Camp were ranked Captain thru Lieutenant Colonel, with one from each of the four service branches. He was tempted to add a Coast Guard officer as his next aide replacement, but hadn't decided yet._

_He pulled the oversized file to the spot right in front of him, deciding that he could work on it at his desk instead of his conference table where he usually did his paperwork. The desk he reserved for his laptop and relaxation. Opening the file, he was pleased to note that only three names were on the short list for the Atlantis Commander slot, and one Colonel Sam Carter was one of them. Frankly he'd expected that. The woman deserved such recognition, and he had personally been putting together __several command options for her that would see her with a star on her uniform in another year or two. The other two officers on the list were Lieutenant Colonel John Sheppard, and Colonel Stephen Caldwell. Jack knew that Caldwell, a good officer who had a real future in the growing fleet of warships that Earth was constructing, would not get the job, so that effectively left Carter and Sheppard. Jack was confident that the IOA would choose Sheppard. The man had it all, as well as having been the military commander and mission 2IC for the last three years. That was until Jack read __the choice that had been made._

_"FUCKING BASTARDS!" he shouted at the top of his lungs. "Bellman! Get in here!"_

_"General?" a confused Bellman appeared at the door. Seeing Jack O'Neill pissed off about something was nothing new, but this time he was absolutely livid about something._

_"Get me Woolsey in here right now!" Jack snapped. "And don't tell him anything about me being upset. I want the pleasure of squashing the little shit myself!"_

_"Right away, Sir," Bellman said as she closed the door. She thanked whatever God may exist that it was the IOA who were in the General's cross hairs and not anyone in the office._

_Now this was seriously fucked up! After waiting ten long years, and knowing that he had no one to blame for that sorry state but himself, and then one glorious month of hot sex with Carter, only to be whipped away with no notice or consultation. Granted Junior would have demanded to put in his two cents worth on any such conversation, but that was only fair. Hadn't Junior put in his time in Hell already? Hadn't he had to stand on the sidelines as Hotness Personified spent a year with that schmuck Shanahan? Damn straight! Now was his moment in the spotlight, and it was being dimmed much to early for his liking._

_"I see you've seen the file already," Richard Woolsey said from the door. He could tell that O'Neill was not terribly pleased about something and he suspected that it had to do with Colonel Carter's new assignment. He also knew that such anger was personal, not professional. Despite all outward appearances, he and O'Neill had become fairly decent friends over the last two years._

_"What JACKASS chose Carter?!" Jack hollered as he walked over and slammed the door shut. "And why the HELL wasn't I consulted?"_

_"Blame me, Jack," Woolsey replied as he took a seat on the couch. He'd been stunned, but honored beyond belief, when Jack had told him to call him by name after their time with the Replicators on Atlantis. Regardless of their vastly different personalities and view of the world, Richard Woolsey admired Major General Jack O'Neill more than anyone he knew._

_"What the hell were you thinking?" Jack demanded, knowing that he was thinking more with his dick than his brain, but not giving a tinker's damn. "Sheppard was a shoe in!"_

_"Not exactly, Jack," Woolsey responded calmly when he saw that Jack was going to allow him to explain. "Lieutenant Colonel Sheppard is an excellent military commander, and a superb mission 2IC. There is no question in my mind, or the Committees on that. But right now he is needed exactly in the slot he is in. SGA-1 is making serious inroads in the fight against the Wraith and the Replicators. A large measure of the credit for that goes to Colonel Sheppard. Unfortunately, he would not be in command of SGA-1 and active in the field if he were to be made the overall mission commander. We felt that it simply was not a good move at this time. Colonel Carter, on the other hand, was trained by you personally. Her experiences on SG-1, and as the _de facto _SGC 2IC while you were the Commanding General for one year give her invaluable skills needed for this post. Her expertise in the sciences also makes her an ideal person to be in charge of all of Atlantis."_

_Jack slumped in the easy chair he was sitting in. He took a few moments to digest Richard's reasoning, and to his deep consternation, and Juniors, he knew that the man was right. It was also a damn good career move for Carter. She may not care too much about her career considering how important the overall work they did was, but Jack was as sure as anything that Carter was on the rise and would have four stars before she retired, and would have overall command of anything having to do with the Stargate and any related programs._

_"When will she have to leave?" Jack asked when he could speak with acceptance of the choice in his tone._

_"Preferably tomorrow, but we have informed her that she needs to be on Atlantis next Monday," Richard informed him. "I'm sorry, Jack. I know the two of you finally got together, but this really was the only viable choice."_

_"I know," Jack sighed deeply. He looked over at his friend. "The IOA better not play any damn games with her command, Richard. You guys got off lucky after this bullshit recently. If it had been my decision, the IOA would have been eliminated, not just modified, after what was done."_

_Richard, who had not been involved in that whole mess, nodded. "I'll make sure that they get the message, and understand all its implications, Jack," he assured the older man. The IOA was very scared of Jack O'Neill at the moment, and would be for quite some time to come. He stood up. "After Colonel Carter reports to Atlantis, I'd like to buy you a drink, Jack. Consider it my personal apology for this."_

_Jack stood and offered his hand. "Thanks, Richard," he told him. The man had made the right decision, and was willing to defend it, but also make amends with the one person it would negatively affect. That said something about Richard's character that Jack approved of._

_An hour later Jack was hard at work on some more mundane paperwork when a bright light flashed in his office and he was faced with Carter. She was wearing her black BDUs, which he had to admit were hotter than the blue or green ones any day, and she had a stunned look on her face._

_"You heard?" he asked as he stood facing her._

_Sam nodded. It had come out of the blue and she was shocked to her core. This was the last thing she had imagined, despite her recent experience of helping find Atlantis which had not been at the rendezvous. "When did you know?" she demanded. Jack was the main power in all things related to the Stargate. He hadn't said a damn thing about this._

_"I knew you would be on a short list, Carter," he admitted. "But I didn't know you'd been selected until this morning. I thought Sheppard would get the post."_

_"I don't want the job," she said simply._

_Jack shook his head, hating himself for having to be the voice of reason, Junior cursing a blue streak at him all the while. "You have to take it, Sam," he told her, using her name. He outlined Woolsey's reasoning. "But there's even more to it than that. You're going places in the Air Force, Sam. If you do as well as I know you will in this, you'll be wearing a star on you uniform in a year or two. Beyond that, you'll have four stars before you retire. You're a world treasure, Sam." He had once called her a 'national treasure' but now he had expanded that._

_"What about us?" she asked. That was her real fear. She had forced the issue with him a month before, and the result had been the most wonderful month in her life. Now she was faced with not being around him for months at a time, and it hurt. Could their new relationship survive it?_

_Jack pulled her into a hug. "We're together now, and no amount of distance is going to change that," he told her. "We've suffered too much to get to this point. I feel like fate is fucking us once again, but I'm not willing to give up on us. Are you with me?" he asked._

_Sam offered him the same assurance that he had given her with her father had died. "Always," she told him as she returned the hug fiercely. She pulled away reluctantly. "I've got to get back to the SGC and brief Landry about this. Can I come over to see you tonight?"_

_Jack smiled. "I expect you, too, and every night until you have to leave. Remember, we still have a lot of lost time to make up for," he teased. Leaning in, he kissed her softly. "I'll see you tonight," he said as she pressed a control on the small keypad she held and beamed away. He shook his head. "I hate my job," he said with genuine venom._

_**Present, Georgetown, Home of Maj. Gen. (Lt. Gen. Desig.) Jack O'Neill**_

He rolled over as the memory faded and he came back to the present. He'd never tell her, but he had cried like a baby the first night after she left for Atlantis. He hadn't felt pain like that except for two three other times in his life: when young Charlie died, when Carter hummed on the elevator, and when she announced she was getting married. Now eleven months later he was miserable, but he had a new lease on life and work as he was going to be heading out to Atlantis and making things right. He only hoped that he could get the proposal out of his mouth before she kicked his ass for being the worried boyfriend checking up on her. He fell asleep dreaming of Carter and the life he hoped to have with her.


End file.
